An Abundant Life - In Full Bloom

The first time I met Dan Grey, I had gone to dinner at his restaurant Grand Vin in Hoboken at the suggestion of a friend whose taste I trust. She had said that it was excellent, and at her recommendation I went there with a stylist who I was meeting with for a blog post. Our dinner was so delicious, and the service and environment so wonderful, that I asked if I could write a blog post about the restaurant. The waitress went inside to ask if the owner was available to speak with me, and in a moment a very charming young man appeared who introduced himself as Dan Grey. It was really so astonishing to me that someone could be so humble and personable who had such a beautifully designed restaurant and tastefully curated menu of not only an extensive list of delectable wines but delicious food as well, but that's the type of person Dan Grey is. Everything in his restaurant, from the staff to the design, to the touches of decor to the outstanding cocktail and beer and wine list and menu is chosen and carefully selected to create the most memorable, comfortable and delicious experience possible. And though he does everything he does so well, he won't take any credit for it - every time I tell him how wonderful he is, he always deflects it and reflects it back to the people he works with. And they are all wonderful - over time as I've gotten to know them, I've seen how excellent they are, but it is Dan who sets the tone and Dan who creates the environment for people to thrive and excel in, and it's Dan's skill and expertise that creates the wonderful restaurant experience that is not only excellent, but enchanting.

When I heard that he was opening a restaurant on the other side of town, I knew it was going to be another great one. I had heard through the grapevine that he was planning the new venue with a Japanese Sushi and fusion cuisine theme, and that the site he had chosen was the former site that housed the Turtle Club, a restaurant I've written about in these pages before and where I had enjoyed some delightful meals and cocktails. Then one day I saw an Instagram post about the new restaurant, Saku, from Hector Noel, a Mixologist extraordinaire who I've also written about and enjoyed many a wonderful cocktail with, and he commented that the food and cocktails were outstanding. I know that Hector's taste is the best, and if he was impressed, I knew there was something really special happening there. Then I saw a few posts from the restaurant and a post of Dan Grey's, and the food looked and sounded so amazing that I sent Dan a message and asked if I could come in to write about it. He responded immediately, and we set a date for the following evening, and so this past Tuesday I walked across Park Avenue to 10th Street in Hoboken, looking forward to a lovely evening.

My expectations were high, and I can honestly say that Saku raised the bar even higher. From the moment I came up to the door and saw that they had completely and tastefully redesigned the old front entrance to create the sleek look and feel of a Japanese restaurant in SoHo or the East Village, through the experience of walking in that sleek door and seeing the lovely design complete with cherry blossoms and branches and decorative walls and murals, to the moment I tasted my first sip of a specialty cocktail and my first bite of delicious food, and continuing on through an exquisite meal that was deliciously and carefully prepared and presented, each note of the evening made me happy that I was there, and looking forward to more times to come. The name Saku means "To Blossom," and the experience that has been carefully created at Saku is not just an early blossom that will fade, but a full flowering of all that is luxuriant and delightful.

I started my evening with Shumai, a favorite of mine but also something that can be disappointing, and here of course they were outstanding, each taste exquisitely and delicately flavored and prepared in house with the freshest of ingredients. I followed that with a pureed sweet potato soup, surprising in its hearty richness and layers of flavor with an added prize of toasted walnuts sprinkled at the top and bottom of the bowl, reminiscent to my fun loving mind as an adult version of the peanuts that add to the deliciousness of one of my my old favorites Cracker Jack. I wanted to try the eel sushi, because I am honestly a bit of a sushi snob and eel is one of my favorites that like Shumai can sometimes disappoint, and though I knew it would be excellent, it was even more perfect than I could have imagined. At the suggestion of Dan's brother who was not only cheerfully and expertly serving but also helping me choose from the menu that evening, I had a piece of Octopus sushi along with the eel which was perfect in every way. Octopus can be tough, but this was lovely, with a freshness and sweetness that only the freshest of seafood ever has. I had started my evening with a Samurai's Widow, a selection from the cocktail menu which was completely perfect and lovely, a beautiful interactive experience as Dan's brother poured the hibiscus infusion into the cocktail changing its color from white to red. I followed that up with a Boba Felt, a cocktail made from Misunderstood Whiskey, a favorite whiskey of mine made by two wonderful men who I've also written about here before. In addition to the flavorful ginger spice, the cocktail utilizes matcha and coconut water along with the boba or "bubbles" that are usually found in bubble tea - I'm not usually a fan of bubble tea, because though it is a fun concept the bubbles don't usually seem to add much to the experience except for novelty. But here at Saku where everything has its perfect place and taste, the bubbles are passion fruit flavored and so delicious and bursting with flavor that I enjoyed chasing them with my straw like a little girl at a birthday party. By this point my selections of sushi rolls had arrived, and I had chosen three, each one memorable and perfect in its own way with combinations inside and outside that made the presentation as beautiful as the tastes were sublime. The Surf & Turf Roll combined crab meet with avocado, and wagyu beef, the Colorful Roll brought together the flavors and textures of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish, shrimp and avocado with kani, cream cheese and fish eggs, and the Big Daddy Roll was a dreamy creation of lobster, eel, avocado and fish egg with orange mayo and miso yuzu sauce. The fish was not only tender but each taste so delicately and deliciously flavored I was reminded of the most memorable Sushi dinners I've had at some of the best world renowned restaurants in Manhattan. I kept thinking of the people I know who love Sushi, and I can't wait to bring them to Saku.

I ended my meal with a piece of Avocado Cheese Cake, a beautiful green color and infused with coconut, it had a flavor so delicious I'm still dreaming about it. My last cocktail with dessert was a Tokyo Rose, with yuzu, jasmine, sparkling sake and rose water with a perfect petal placed on top and scent of Rosa Rugosa, my favorite of all roses. Everything had been so perfect that I couldn't have imagined anything topping it, but as each course and cocktail arrived right through to the end, each one was more perfect than the last.

Dan's business Partner at Saku, Pat Light, had introduced himself when I first arrived, and he is just as humble and kindhearted as Dan. I found out that he also has an illustrious career in sports, playing baseball as a pitcher at the top of his game, but you'd never know it unless someone else told you - his first and only focus is to make sure that everything is running smoothly at the restaurant and that everyone is having a wonderful time.

And at Saku the time is wonderful. There is a saying on the wall, atributed to Kobayashi Issa, "In the cherry blossom's shade there is no such thing as a stranger," and that feeling of peaceful co-existence and camaraderie is what Dan Grey and Pat Light have created. With the marvelous and ingenious creations of Executive Sushi Chef Eddie Ho and Executive Chef Anthony Leonida, and service from a wonderful staff, as the beautiful design beguiles you and the delicious flavors awaken your senses you will find yourself not just enjoying a sense of blossoming, but of luxuriously living in full bloom.

Saku

936 Park Avenue

Hoboken, New Jersey

 http://sakuhoboken.com/

The Samurai's Widow

A Clear And Fragrantly Soft Lightness

With A Hibiscus Infusion On The Side 

The Infusion Gently Poured
Turning The Colors To A Cherry Blossom Red

A Lovely And Fragrant Tokyo Rose

With Yuzu, Rosewater, Jasmine

And Sparkling Sake

A Delectable Avocado Cheese Cake

Infused With Coconut

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - From A Place Of Love

In my blog post two weeks ago, I wrote about the Artist and Chef Andre Kaulesar, and how I had met him through the Artist Anthony Boone, the Founder of Boone Art Life. As I write this now, I'm thinking about how I met Anthony Boone, and in a strange way, though I know I met him only a few months ago, it seems like I've known him forever. And though that may seem strange to some people, in a way it makes sense, because Anthony Boone, and his artwork, are at the same time both timeless and moving through time, visionary and revolutionary and cosmic while still being very much rooted in tradition and history.

There is a sensitivity to Anthony's work that runs through and around, beyond and throughout the textures and colors and layers of paint. Intensely powerful, his paintings and sculptures are not aggressive or heavy. Though he is using mixed media at times, adding earth and leaves and fallen bits of the natural world including animal paw prints and even the stray butterfly into his canvases, the work itself has a lightness in feeling that brings us to a higher realm. His sculptures have a similar quality that combines a kind of weight with weightlessness - though they are in fact made many times of fallen pieces of iron and steel from the industrial beds of railroad tracks and even the smaller pieces have a solid weight to them, they are at once seemingly airborn and of a kind of structure that could be found floating in the cosmos. In Anthony's hands and with his eye shaping their colors they become objets d'art that could almost be lighter than air or parts of a thought or breath; suspended on a wall or resting on a table they seem as if they could lift themselves off or be moved with a gust of wind or a breeze.

It is that lightness that moves throughout his work that also gives it depth. Like water in the deep of the ocean with ripples of color and light moving ever darker into swirling whirlpools and resurfacing and changing, his paintings seem effervescent and in constant motion, taking on different qualities in different light and in different spaces, creating enigmatic and calming images that are both meditative and energizing at the same time. The line of fashion and street wear he has created shares not only his circle motif and logo as a throughline, but also the colorful designs and energy of his creative vision. The flowing patterns and whirlpools and whirlwinds that grace his canvases have also been used by Fashion Designer Marco Hall to create fabric for his boutique couture clothing.

Anthony is himself very deep and methodical while still retaining the ability to move and change and recreate and inspire. He told me a story about a time when he had stopped painting because of some experiences that made him question how he wanted to move forward with his art. When the artist Mark Finne called him up one day after he had not painted in two years and asked him if he wanted to collaborate on a project, he said yes, and when Mark said he was on his way over and showed up at his door, Anthony went out shopping with Mark at the art store and started painting again. It's a testament to Mark and his sensitivity that he made that call, and a testament to the creative force within Anthony that answered it.

As I wrote about Andre Kaulesar in my blog post two weeks ago, the event that we all collaborated on together with the Partners at the Antique Loft would not have been possible without the driving force of the additional energy, expertise and professionalism that Anthony brought to the project. Taking painstaking time to hang the show, promote it and invite photographers and spoken word artists and musicians, navigating the tight schedule of loading in and loading out while juggling his every day responsibilities, because of his contributions to the evening and his care in hanging the pieces and thoughtful planning work before, during and after, with his additional efforts in combination with the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, the already gorgeous room took on an extra special and beautiful glow and the event was a success that is still being applauded and remembered as a highlight of the season. 

There's an interesting quality about Anthony that makes him very special as an artist and something that enhances his own presence as a person. Although he is very particular about how and where his work is hung and what shows and spaces and artists he is involved with, once he has decided that he wants to do something, he is very open to suggestions and collaborations and is not rigid in the flow of changing ideas. His is a perfection of vision and craft that is open to collaboration and change, and though he will take the necessary time to consider how best to move forward, he will always be open to ideas that he feels will make a project stronger. He is also committed to not only excellence, but to following through on promises he has made, considering others in the mix of the projects he plans and works on. His is a mind that is open and caring, wanting the best and not settling for less for himself or for anyone he works with. His art is created from a very powerful emotional place, with a solid foundation in the beauty that can overcome darkness and chaos. Opening a space in his world to others, to artists he collaborates with and audiences he brings new work and experiences to, the Artist Anthony E. Boone makes the possibility of a new world come into focus, one where we are invited to feel a sense of connection and to walk on a higher ground in a place where warmth and love surround us with light.   

The Artist Anthony E. Boone
At The Opening Of A Group Show
At Prime Gallery
351 Palisade Avenue
Jersey City Heights, New Jersey
www.PrimeRealEstateGroup.com
 https://www.booneartlife.org/

At The Art Event At The Antique Loft
33-41 Newark Street
Hoboken, New Jersey
https://www.antiquebarbakery.com/the-loft-hoboken-top-event-spot/

With Friends
Including Actress And Writer Tiffany Barrett
And Rashad Wright, Poet Laureate Of Jersey City
Following Two Photos Courtesy of Anthony Boone
Photo Credit Jermaine D. Clarke

With Photographer, Filmmaker and Artist River Clark

Installing The Show At The Antique Loft

With Artist and Chef Andre Kaulesar

At Hamilton House For An Artist Talk

With Fashion Influencer Patricia Fox

Fashion Designs By Marco Hall

That Use Anthony's Artwork For The Fabric

https://www.facebook.com/designermarcohall/

Instagram @MarcoHall

At Salon X

For An Artist Greet And Meet

228 7th Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

http://www.salonxjerseycity.com/ 

With Hair Stylist Victoria Vazquez

And Salon Owner Lori Greylock

Artwork For A Special Limited Edition

Non-Nocere Kombucha @non_nocere
With Graphic Design
By Victor Manuel Colón @designbyvictor

At The Antique Loft

With Andre Kaulesar, Jannie Wolff, Rolando Iglesias and Shaq

At Antique Bar & Bakery

With Artist and Chef Andre Kaulesar and Jannie Wolff

122 Willow Avenue

Hoboken, New Jersey

www.AntiqueBarBakery.com

With Artist and Chef Andre Kaulesar

At The Antique Loft

Selected Artwork
Photos Courtesy Of Anthony E. Boone
Photo Credit Jermaine D. Clarke

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Self Made Man

For anyone who knows me, whenever I receive a compliment I respond with giving credit to God and to the people in my life who have been of help and support and have shared their gifts with me. It's something I truly know about myself that I wouldn't be alive today and certainly wouldn't be living the enjoyable life I am living if it weren't for the gifts both practical, physical and emotional that so many wonderful people have shared with me. The expression "a self made man" is not one that I normally would use for anyone, but when I sat down to write about David Bistany, that was the expression that came to my mind.

From my vantage point over the years I would say it's not easy being a man, and indeed, the journalist Norah Vincent wrote about that in her immersion account published in December of 2006, "Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man", of the eighteen months she spent exploring the world of men as a man. And if being a man is difficult, being a self-made one is even more so. According to Wikipedia, the term "is a classic phrase first coined on February 2, 1832 by United States senator Henry Clay who referred to the self-made man in the senate, to describe individuals in the manufacturing sector whose success lay within the individuals themselves, not with outside conditions." It goes on to describe someone who rises "to eminence in financial, political or other areas by nurturing qualities, such as perseverance, hard work, and ingenuity."

In reading this description, it makes perfect sense to me why I thought of this phrase in relation to David Bistany. According to the information listed under "Agent Details" through the website for Liberty Realty where he is a five star real estate agent with over 20 years of experience:

"David’s real estate knowledge was honed in a competitive world. Growing up in the New York City area has provided David with a remarkable education, intense drive, and an easy mindset to lead each and every customer through the labyrinth of real estate. Nineteen years in the industry has given him the opportunity to be a witness and participant in the transformation and gentrification of local communities all around. Real estate is a business where you meet people from every walk of life, and you’re changing lives every day. David says he doesn’t want to bore us with stories or sound cliché, but with a great sense of humor and expert knowledge of the industry he is able to pass on the lessons he has learned. David’s work ethic is dynamic and proficient. “Is there another way to work?” he asks. What most people don’t realize is, working as a real estate professional means you run your own business. Like any other industry, there are many agents to choose from, but it takes a real professional with discipline for business to maintain a successful career. This leads to his success and the success of his clients. Those who know and have worked with David can attest that he does not stop at mediocre. This is not just a job for David, this is his passion. Buying or selling can be one of the most important decisions of your life; let David be your guide. If you’re ready for a trusted real estate advisor to help you fulfill your dreams and achieve your goals, call David Bistany today. Don’t wait!"

I can say with all honesty after knowing David and seeing the way he works and interacts with everyone he meets that the words in this write up are true. I can also say that not only does he show this level of expertise and work ethic in his chosen field of Real Estate, but that he also puts this same high level of effort into everything he is involved in. Recently I had the opportunity to watch from the sidelines as he worked with the Hoboken Rotary Club to plan their first annual fundraising dinner. Every detail was important to him, and as he worked with the planning committee and the event site both before, during and after the event, I have seen his commitment to excellence and his discerning views in action, not only being satisfied with a favorable outcome, but wanting the best experience for everyone involved. My only concern when I share time with David is that I want him to be able to enjoy the fruits of his own labor - he is so often so concerned about making sure that everything is running smoothly and everyone else is enjoying themselves that I find myself wondering when he has time to take time for himself.

David is one of the rarest of men. As a Real Estate agent with one of the leading Real Estate offices in the area that is a leader in innovation and in customer satisfaction, he lives his life with the standard of excellence he puts into his work with clients every day. Currently one of the top producers in Hudson County and one of the highest producing of Liberty Realty's 300 agents, he holds the Gold "Circle of Excellence" Real Estate Award for 2016. In addition to his membership with the Rotary Club, he is a member of The Chamber of Commerce and a Board Member of the Hoboken Schoolhouse Condo Association, and he and his family are also the proud owners of two rescue pups. If you are lucky enough to meet David and work with him on any project, either buying or selling a home or in any of his community efforts, you will find in him someone you can trust, who is always thinking ahead of the trends, and who will always do his utmost to insure that whatever he touches turns to gold.  

David Bistany

Five Star Real Estate Agent
At Liberty Realty
One Marine View Plaza
Hoboken, New Jersey

http://www.davidbistany.com

http://libertyrealty.com/agent/david-bistany/    

 

Blessings,

Jannie Susan